


Smart people, learn to not care

by Folie_lex



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: Additional scenes, Backstory, Coda, Found Family, Gen, Missing Scenes, Pre-Mind Wipe, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:30:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8071687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Folie_lex/pseuds/Folie_lex
Summary: He claimed he never cared. But that isn't and never was true. Not even before...





	1. "At least lets get something for her..."

**Author's Note:**

> #1 - This is completely un-beta’d so all mistakes (humongous and/or minor) just credit them to that.
> 
> #2 - If you're not watching Dark Matter, you're missing out.
> 
> #3 - Three is the best... Hell even pre-memory wipe, asshole or not, Marcus still seems like the good one... So this is gonna be mostly about him... and mostly from his POV...
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I obviously DO NOT own anything... I'm just a fan expressing some love.

He exits the mess hall in an exasperated huff. However with his usual brand of bad luck, Ryo is right behind him.  
"We wouldn't have gotten much for her."  
He throws a confused "Huh?" over his shoulder but doesn't slow down.  
"Selling her to any of the slavers," Ryo elaborates, catching up with him and matching him stride for stride.  


Marcus doesn't appreciate the implication that his off handed comment was taken seriously. He looks over at Ryo's no nonsense expression with slight disgust.  
"I didn't mean that."  
"Then why say it?  
"To make a point."  
"And Griffin's actual point was: she claims she's good with electrical and engineering. We could use those skills on the ship."  


The rationalisation of why he voted the way he did gets Marcus even more riled up. He grunts in frustration, mumbles something about wasting money on the robot and picks up his pace, trying to put more distance between him and his crew mate.  
But sons of emperors know to get what they want, be heard and have the last word in. And well, cold hearted Stabby McStabberson killing machine that he is, in his core, Ryo is still that privileged brat.  
"She seems harmless," he persists, just as Marcus has gotten a few feet away from him.  


That does it. Marcus stops short in his tracks and turns around throwing his arms up in the air, the implied "duh!!!" coming off loud and clear.  
"She's a KID!" is all he thinks he really needs to say.  
"Frankly, I really can't comprehend your aversion to her being around. You grew up in a similar environment after all."  
"Exactly! It's not her fault for being dumb and unfortunate enough to pick _this_ ship to stow herself away in with... with _us_..."  
Marcus lets that last part of his sentence trail. The slivers of sadness which are laced in his underlining point seem to affect Ryo more than either of them likes to admit it.  


Not one to so easily admit defeat or weakness, the legal heir of Zairon takes a deep breath and shakes his head once to compose himself.  
"She knows what we are and she still agreed to stay. That was her choice."  
"Well ain't that a big pile of stinky shit."  
"Boone..."  
"No! You can twist it any which way you want to wash your hands clean, but we decide who gets to stay or go. It's why we vote. Just 'cause she was willing to stick around doesn't mean we should have let her. Anything that happens to her from now on, is on us. Now, I know you're fine to sleep well at night even with that being a fact, but me? Sorry man, I'm not wired like you. So excuse me if I think having a kid on board actually comes with responsibilities."  


It should be one for the books really, because judging by the way he's rendered Ryo unable to refute his argument, for the first time since they met, Marcus seems to have the high moral ground, for a change.  
He realises it's a vacant win though, because the kid is still on board and she doesn't seem to be going anywhere.  
  



	2. Keeping secrets

"SO..." he says louder than he has to, plunking the tray of food on the table effectively startling her. "What were the drugs for?"

She avoids making eye contact with him, keeps tugging her sleeves, bunching their ends in her fists and keeps quiet.  
He sits down opposite her and pulls the tray closer to him. He examines the food he has very carefully selected: two cups of pudding, three bread rolls, a couple of peaches, three apples, a very hefty slice of cheese, two bottles -one water, one juice- and a few extra protein bars for good measure (just the green less sucky ones too. He's made sure).  
He glances up her way, and notices with satisfaction the way she's ogling the food.  
Mission accomplished.  
He picks up one of the apples delicately, and bites into it, his eyes never leaving her.

"You know kid, you can just tell me, or I'm gonna find out for myself anyway..."

She rolls hers eyes, discreetly. And if he wasn't looking for it, he would have totally missed it. Seems like she's decided that yes he is absolutely scary, but dumb. That's okay... he likes it just fine, when people make that assumption.

"You should leave her alone," Corso's voice declares from over his shoulder.  
He glances behind him just to verify he's there, and also notices Griff's large frame, standing a bit further back by the door, with his arms crossed.

Marcus smirks and lets a silent breath of a heckle come through his nose.  
He pushes the tray the kid's way before he rises from his chair and walks away.

______

Das sneaks out quietly after she makes sure everyone is asleep.  
And she is sure, but she is wrong...

She makes a stop by the infirmary and is pleasantly surprised that it takes her a lot less snooping to find some disinfectant, bandages, some antibiotics and general first aid supplies.  
(It was after dinner that Portia gave him grief over leaving meds lying around unattended. Marcus shrugged, and the Android made a motion to start putting things away. Portia, was very curt in the way she ordered her to stop. The boss may have been speaking to the Android as she explained that neither of them were Boone's mother and it's his duty to clean up after himself, but her glare was squarely focused on him. He very confidently reassured her the things would be gone by the time she got up.)  


She lifts herself up through the vent again, the extra weight from all the food and medicine she's stuffed in her pockets making the task a little less comfortable than before. She thanks the heavens all the food she was saddled with was mostly easy to transport.  
As he watches her struggling to lift herself though the vent he realises he should have given her more protein bars, even if it was only the yellow ones left. They are lighter and easier to transport... and he doubts whoever is getting the food is particularly picky right now...  
One of the peaches rolls out of her pocket, and falls back to the hallway. She makes a note not to forget to pick it up when she gets back.  
Marcus stays well hidden until her shoes vanish through the vent. He walks over to pick up the peach and bites into it as he pulls out the schematics of the vent she just went through. 

The only place he can't account for being empty in the blueprint that shows up, is the lower deck storage, by the hydraulics. It's bit of a useless space where they keep some old empty crates. He heads that way tossing the pit of the peach in the fist garbage disposal vent that crosses his path.

He gets to the lower level, quickly and makes his way towards the room in question feeling completely at ease.  
It's only when he hears an odd sound, like a short screech, coming from the storage that he tenses.  
He ducks behind a corner for cover, and unholsters Lulu. He tentatively walks towards the door, and hears the sound again... and then a sniffle... which means the screech _could_ be crying... and that can't be good...  
He slowly and quietly opens the door. He can't see her but he can definitely claim she is crying now. Her short breaths are a dead give away.

He begins to walk closer and dares to take a peak at her, trying to maintain his lurking cover.  
"Please let it just be a dead puppy please let it just be a dead puppy please let it just be a dead puppy" he chants in a quiet whisper only he can hear, as he ever so slightly cranes his neck around the corner. No such luck.  
The kid -Das she called herself- is sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out in front of another boy, who's in there with her lying on the floor with his back to the wall. He is motionless, his eyes open and vacant and he's got a huge dark red stain on the front of his shirt. 

Marcus curses something indistinct to himself. He is too indignant to watch his tone and it seems the mumbling is loud enough to get Das' attention.  
He pulls back quickly and hopes he wasn't spotted. There's some rustling and then the clang of a vent cover closing firmly. After a beat he dares to take another peak and sure enough, she's gone.

He holsters Lulu and takes a step forward. His boot makes contact with something foreign. He looks down and he sees the apple rolling across the room. He kicks a roll of bread out of the way and steps over the unopened packs of protein bars that are scattered in his path, and finally reaches the boy. He examines the kid for a moment. He's young. Around Das' age.... young...  
Marcus crouches. He takes a closer look at the wound. Seems he bled out, slowly. It must have even been painful in the last few hours.  
He can't help but think that maybe, just maybe if he hadn't threatened to space the girl, she might have told them about her friend... they might have gotten to him in time... might have been able to help... they definitely would have been able to manage his pain anyway.... and at least he wouldn't have been alone and scared...  
"Sorry kid."  
It's an empty apology, but it's all he can offer.  
Thinking this way is redundant, Marcus knows. Still the guilt prevails, and spins him into action.

When he hits the upper deck he heads straight for the bridge, hoping he'll find her there, and thankfully it's a good bet.

"Oi! Robot!"  
"Yes Marcus. How may I be of assistance."

Though he knows she is gonna help, the fact that she still has her back to him, her eyes glued to the FTL window, bothers him.  
"Just a couple of questions really. One: what would be the best temperature to keep a dead person intact?"  
"A human carcass can have its decomposing process be delayed even in temperatures as high as 2 °C. But if you would want to completely prevent decomposition, a temperature of -10 °C or below would be far more optimum."  
"Okay... question number two... and, can you come over here please..."  
She turns to look at him in that peculiar, blank yet inquisitive way of hers, which compels him to elaborate.  
"I hate talking to your back okay? Just come over here so we can talk like two normal..." he stops before this gets really confusing. Do they have to make them so humanlike? "... so we can talk properly," he corrects himself. 

The Android complies to his request and walks over to the console he's standing over. On the screen he's pulled the same blueprints from earlier.  
"This storage area, that's by the hydraulic cylinders," he says pointing to the room he just came from, "does it have a separate temp control and thermostat?"  
"Indeed it does. As do most locations on the ship that function as storage space."  
"Grrrrrrreat! Can you make sure then that it stays in the minus 10s."  
She gives him that look again. "Please...?" he adds.  
She takes a moment, longer than usual but eventually she says the expected "done".  
"Awesome.Thanks."

He's almost out to the hallway when her voice stops him.  
"For how long?"  
" _For how long_ what?"  
"How long would you like me to maintain that temperature in that particular room."  
"Indefinitely... or at at least until further notice."  
She just looks at him... really looks at him... and it makes him feel a bit uncomfortable. "As you wish," she says after the long pause, and turns her head back towards the bridge panels.

Marcus shakes his head in frustration... or confusion... or both, he's not entirely sure... and heads back to his quarters.

______

Trekking around the ship when he should have been sleeping took a bit of a toll, and when he does finally wake up he realises, that not only everyone has already been awake for hours, but they're also closing in on the Casino & Cruise Ship for the drop off. Marcus grabs a cup of coffee from the mess and goes directly to the bridge.

"Morning sleeping beauty."  
"Sorry boss. Stayed up late."  
"Putting away the medical supplies, I saw. Thank you."  
"Your word my command and all that, right?"  
"Mmm."  
It's probably the way that he doesn't skip a beat in this exchange which makes Das look at him.  
For his part Marcus pretends he didn't notice.

Portia shifts into her no-nonsense mode and begins passing out her orders.  
"Griff, prep the Maurauder. Ryo take Corso and start loading the cargo. You..." she turns to Boone as the other three head out to fulfill their assigned tasks, "finish your coffee. I need you alert when we head out."  
"Just you and me boss?"  
"Yes. Cluster who barely likes his own guts, really likes you. God knows why, but he does. And I just want this to be a fast and clean in and out."  
"I'm your guy."  
"We can't linger," she stresses.  
"I said: I'm your guy," he reassures her. He takes a seat and lifts his boots on the dash in front him, looking all self assured and smug, as always.  
Portia repeats that "Mmmm" one more time, before she directs her attention to the Android. "Hail them when we're in range. Let _him_ do the talking."  
"Understood."

Portia follows the rest of the crew out of the bridge. Das stays behind, her full attention on the console she's been delegated to.  
"Um.... Android? Could I possibly ask you something?" she tries to sound nonchallant, and it's obviously false.  
"As a now recognised member of the crew you can ask me anything."  
"Okay... so...." she side-eyes Marcus, and he pretends to not notice again. Instead he takes long sip from his coffee. The kid leans in conspiratorially and gestures for the Android to do the same.  
The Android bends slightly at her waist minimizing the distance between the two of them and turns her head just so that her ear is closer to Das's face.  
"What's, like, the best temperature if you want to preserve a dead body?"  
He'll admit the kid does a good jod of whispering, but Marcus knows enough of the situation to piece together the bits of the question he didn't hear.

But it's the robot's reaction that really gets him.  
Where a second ago she was just looking at a nondescript spot on the floor, she directs her gaze directly as him, for a beat, before she straightens up and looks back at Das.  
"A human carcass can have its decomposing process be delayed even in temperatures as high as 2 °C. But if you would want to completely prevent decomposition, a temperature of -10 °C or below would be far more optimum," she says for the second time in the span of less than 8 hours.  
Das looks between him and the Android frantically thinking she maybe gave herself away. But the Android has her patented blank stare on, and Marcus is putting on a good show of not caring about anything involving the kid.  
"Cool... yeah... great... good to know..." she stutters her way through the awkward moment, all the while typing away on her keyboard.  
There's a long quiet pause, only disturbed by Das' typing, and some loud slurping from Marcus.  
Suddenly the typing stops, and the girl looks as the screen in front of her, seemingly confused. She gets up from her seat fast, and dashes for the exit.  
"Everything alright?" he asks conversationally, starling her like yesterday. Unlike yesterday, though he wasn't actually trying to do so.  
"I... um... eh... yeah..." she manages and exits the bridge in reverse and in a much more calculated speed than before.

He watches her go, and keeps his eyes to the hallway even after she's rounded the corner.  
A light on one of the consoles flashes and a beep echoes around the bridge.  
"We are being hailed by the Colosseum," the Android informs him

He lifts himself from his seat, stifling a yawn. He opens his eyes and turns around to find the Android, invading his personal space and looking intently at him.  
Now he's just annoyed.  
"What?!"  
She doesn't even flinch.  
"Is there something you want to say?" he tries again.  
"Is there something you want to say?" she repeats. However there's something in the way she enunciates the "you" that makes him believe she was attempting to be emphatic.  
"Nah, I'm good," he brushes her off and reaches over the console to press a button which stops the beeping.  
Happy for the distraction he turns to the screen behind him. "Cluster! My man!!"  



	3. Failure to avoid

"She's avoiding you."  
"Good."  
"And I guess scaring her enough into avoiding you was the plan."  
"Is there anything you need, boss?"

His question is rhetorical, because he knows it's not like Portia to state the obvious unless there's a point she eventually wants to get to.

"I need you to get over yourself, and take her down to the station."  
"Um...? Pass."  
"I'm not asking."  
"Have Griff... -"  
"No."

There's something final in the way she shuts down that option. Which is weird, because Griff is the one the kid seems would be the most comfortable with. He makes a mental note of the reaction and moves on.

"May I at least ask what it is we're getting and why she needs to come with?"  
"I need to procure... something. And she's the only one I can trust to not mess up and who will be able and identify the proper item."

"If she's the one who you need for a successful pick up I can't see why somebody else can't go with her."  
"Anyone can go with her. But you're the only one I have no doubts will bring her back safe and in one piece."

She's always had a weird faith in his loyalty. One that he finds simultaneously flattering and disconcerting. And he'd never admit it, not even to himself, but her trust is half the reason why he does tend to go to bat for her.  
Still there's appearances to keep up, so he struts to where she's standing by the door, rests his arm by the wall beside her and leans in close.

"You gotta make it worth my while here boss-lady" he says in a husky voice as he suggestively raises his eyebrows.  
"I guess I do" she says in a similar low tone, and leans in some herself, further minimizing the space between them... and then pulls a few credit bars up to his face. "This should cover your manhours."  
He shifts his eye-line between the plastic cards she's holding and then back to her face. She's got a mischievous gleam in her eyes and a genuine smile is drawn across her lips, and he feels the corners of his mouth being involuntarily tugged upwards.

He covers for his own smile by grabbing the bars and pushes himself away from the wall. He determinedly looks down, pretending to count the money she offered.  
"Yeah, this should be fine," he says making a show of coming off nonplussed. "Tell the kid to wait for me by the main airlock."  
"Her name is Das," she clarifies, as she begins making her exit. "And Boone?"  
He makes the mistake and looks up at her after she calls his name. Her features are unusually soft and he finds himself staring back and thinking how absolutely beautiful and perfect she looks.

He must have an equally uncharacteristic expression on his face that lasts a few seconds too long, because she blinks the softness away and goes back into her regular Portia gear.  
"Make it quick. We need to be out of here in a couple of hours," she declares and is out the door before he has a chance to respond.  
"You got it boss" he says quietly to the empty room. 


End file.
